Micheál Martin welcomes Albin Kurti at the opening of the European Political Community meeting in Dublin

Prime Minister Albin Kurti was welcomed by his Irish counterpart, Micheál Martin, at the start of the European Political Community meeting in Dublin.

During the meeting, Kurti said Kosovo was counting on Ireland’s support for its membership in the European Union and NATO.

According to Kurti, the EU and NATO are essential for democracy, prosperity and overall security. He stressed the importance of leaders meeting, discussing and coordinating their positions as Russian aggression in Ukraine continues through kinetic warfare, attacks on critical infrastructure and hybrid warfare, extending beyond Ukraine.

Kurti also thanked the Irish people for sheltering more than a thousand Kosovo Albanian refugees in 1999. They had been driven from their homeland by the genocide committed by the armed forces of Slobodan Milošević’s Serbia and Yugoslavia.

He offered special thanks to the Irish members of KFOR, who have served for more than two and a half decades to uphold peace, security and the protection of all Kosovo’s citizens.

The ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit in Dublin brings together leaders of European Union (EU) member states and other European countries. Discussions focus on shared security challenges, geopolitical developments and opportunities for cooperation across the continent.

About 50 international leaders will gather today at the Convention Centre Dublin for the EPC meeting. Ireland holds the EU presidency until the end of the year, and its two main events, the EPC meeting and the informal European Council meeting, are taking place this week.

Ukraine, artificial intelligence and hybrid threats in Europe are expected to dominate the main EU meetings in Dublin on Thursday and Friday. For EU leaders, this will be the first discussion of its kind on artificial intelligence.

The EPC is an informal forum where European leaders address political and strategic issues of shared interest. The forum was established in 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and meets twice a year. The theme of the Dublin summit is “Europe – strong, secure and connected.”